For the past 25 years the Citi Golf has been the entry point to the Volkswagen brand. Kept ‘fresh’ with multiple derivatives over the years, the Citi was finally retired in January 2010, as people’s expectations around what an entry level car should offer have moved on. The costs associated with keeping a production line running to build an old car with old technology also meant it was time for the beloved Citi to retire and a successor to be born.
The legend of the Citi Golf makes it a tough act to follow for Volkswagen South Africa, largely due to the pricing of the Citi. It’s for this reason that VWSA could not simply import an entry-level substitute from other markets, such as the Brazilian Gol, as the costs make it unfeasible. Forgetting about the Citi and focusing on their new Polo would also mean utter hypocrisy in the face of the ‘People’s Car’ namesake. As a result, VWSA have made significant investments in time and money to ensure they continue to offer cost-effective motoring while managing to exceed the ownership experience delivered by the Mk1 Golf. Enter the Volkswagen Polo Vivo, launched this week at VW’s Uitenhage production plant.
Viewed purely in terms of a Citi Golf replacement, the new Polo Vivo is a revelation. It’s bigger and better, while still offering value for money. VWSA have taken major steps to achieve this by focusing on the “Proudly South African” nature of the new car and increasing their overall use of locally sourced parts from 40% to 70%. VWSA has invested R1.1 billion in a new supplier park located next to their Uitenhage production facility. Five new factories have created 700 jobs and supply various components, including the dashboard, which has gone from being a fully imported item (74% more expensive to acquire than in Europe), to now being locally produced and costing 10% less than the European equivalent. As a result the Vivo benefits from keen showroom pricing and, coupled with a new R200 million parts and accessories centre set to be operational by June 2010, the cost of ownership for the life of the vehicle should remain similarly appealing.
By increasing the locally sourced content of the new Vivo, the question of quality may well come to mind. After visiting the factory, where the company has invested R2 billion over the past 18 months to achieve world class standards, we can honestly say the build quality of all vehicles produced by VWSA is top class. When you hear that the Uitenhage plant is the only plant in the world licenced to build right-hand-drive Polo’s and is the sole supplier world-wide of the new CrossPolo, any questions of quality standards are well and truly answered.
Essentially a watered down version of the previous Mk4 generation Polo, produced from 2005 to 2009, the Polo Vivo continues the model’s reputation for comfort, quality, safety and space, but at an even more affordable price.
The new Polo Vivo is available in three body-styles, namely the 4-door sedan and a 2- or 4-door hatchback. Changes to the exterior styling of the new Vivo include new bumpers front and rear, with a redesigned horizontal front grille combination bringing the car in-line with the modern look of the Volkswagen range. Other subtle changes include the removal of the rubbing strips on all sides of the car, as well as the side indicators having been relocated from within the side mirrors to inside the headlight cluster.
Inside is where a few more cost cutting measures have taken place, but not to the detriment of comfort as the Vivo retains the solid Polo feel. A soft-touch dashboard and comfortable cloth trimmed seats offer a pleasing tactile element to the little VW. If you play spot-the-difference compared to the previous Polo, you’ll find there are no under-seat storage trays, no grab handles and just a single cup holder ahead of the gear lever.
Under the bonnet, the new Polo Vivo is powered by a choice of three new, locally built, petrol engines. First up is the 1,4-litre in 55 kW guise. The 4-cylinder engine produces its peak power at 5 000 rpm and a maximum torque figure of 132 N.m, of which 90% is available from 2 200 rpm. The 55 kW engine delivers a claimed fuel consumption of 6.2 l/100km and is available in any of the three body styles.
A more powerful 63 kW version of the same 1,4-litre engine is the middle of the range engine. Peak power is produced at 5 000 rpm and maximum torque of 132 N.m is available at 3 600 rpm. The 63 kW 1.4 offers an identical fuel consumption figure of 6.2 l/100km. The 63 kW engine is available in either the 4-door hatch or sedan body styles.
The most powerful engine on offer is a 1,6-litre, producing 77 kW at 5 250 rpm and 155 N.m of torque at 3 500 rpm. Fuel consumption is 6.6 l/100km and is good for a top speed of 187 km/h in the sedan body style.
We drove the 63 kW hatchback and 77 kW sedan on the launch and found both models to be surprisingly nippy. Overtaking slower traffic was easy enough when using the 5-speed manual transmission to build-up the revs and the cars cruised comfortably along our N2 test between Port Elizabeth and Cape St. Francis. The 63 kW 1.4 in the hatchback had a slight induction roar under acceleration, which added to the rev-happy, cheeky nature of the engine. The little Vivo corners well and provides a comfortable ride on most roads, although it can become a bit choppy over rougher surfaces.
As mentioned, overall build quality on the Vivo is very good. You won’t easily find any rattles or hear wind whistling its way past the windows. One thing we would like is a height adjustable drivers seat. Coupled with the height and reach adjustable steering wheel, this would allow taller drivers to find an ideal driving position. Having said this, the Vivo is a budget conscious car and some features must fall away in order to fit the bill. Of course it’s a lot more spacious than many other cars in its class, with ample room up front and enough in the rear for medium sized South Africans. The sedan offers the most versatile luggage option, with 432-litres in the boot, expandable to 737-litres with the rear seats folded flat. The hatchback offers a useful 270-litres, or 635 litres with the seats folded down.
As standard the Vivo range has powersteering, driver and passenger airbags, as well as a height and reach adjustable steering wheel. ABS is standard on the 1.4 Trendline and 1.6 models, while optional extras such as air-conditioning; radio/cd/mp3/sd/usb/bluetooth compatible 4-speaker sound system and metallic paint, vary across the range.
The Polo Vivo might seem a little lean on its base specification, but when compared with similarly priced i10, Picanto, 107 or Sandero, the 1,4-litre models compare favourably. The biggest competitor for Polo Vivo will be the Ford Figo, set to arrive towards the middle of this year. Although built in India, Ford has followed a similar strategy of using the previous generation Fiesta upon which to base their new Figo entry-level contender. Until then, Vivo should have the upper hand in the market, riding the wave of success inherited from Polo Mk4.
| Prices | |
| Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW 2-Door | R101 500 |
| Polo Vivo 1.4 55kW | R109 900 |
| Polo Vivo 1.4 63kW Trendline | R119 900 |
| Polo Vivo 1.6 77kW | R136 900 |
| Polo Vivo 1.4 77kW Trendline | R144 900 |
Price includes a 3-year/120 000 km warranty, 6-year Anti Corrosion warranty, with service intervals due every 15 000 km. A 5-year/60 000 km Automotion Maintenance Plan and Service Plan are available as options.
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